


Innocent blood

by Pastaverse



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Attempted Murder, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Cannibalism, F/M, Hair-pulling, Imprisonment, Kidnapping, Medical Experimentation, Murder, Oh what did I do, Possession, i'm so sorry Deet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-01-03 03:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21172646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastaverse/pseuds/Pastaverse
Summary: Rian, Brea, Kylan, Naia, and Gurjin already have a lot on their shoulders. With the war against the Skeksis and the Garthim, unrest between the clans, and the search for their missing friend Deet, it's all too much to handle. So when reports of a mysterious creature reportedly murdering Gelflings, it starts pushing their limits. But what suprises them is the description of said creature, and the nature of the murders. The Gelfling were found in their homes, with their throats slit, and their organs gone, most likely eaten. The creature is described to be a Gelfling, their skin covered in purple veins, their eyes a sharp violet.All evidence points to Deet. The purple veins, the purple eyes, tangled white hair, everything fits into place. But Rian refuses to believe it. His gentle Deet, turning to cannibalism? That's unlikely, right?





	1. Chapter 1

"Rian, are you alright? You look a bit pale." Gurjin said, placing his hand on Rian's shoulder. "Have you been sleeping at all?" 

Rian shook his head at his questions. "No, Gurjin. I haven't. How can I with all that's going on? Everyday, there's the threat of the Skeksis and the Garthim, the disputes between the clans grow more every day! And Deet...oh Deet..." 

Rian cut himself off. He could feel the tears beginning to form in his eyes, and he didn't want to cry. It's all he did when he was alone, and he didn't want anyone to see him emotional. The thought of Deet was slowly becoming painful. Her once soft brown eyes turning a sickening purple, and her light green skin riddled with dark purple veins. Every night, all he could think about was her. The first time they met at Stone-in-the-wood. The first time they hugged. The time they almost kissed at the Circle of the Suns. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Rian? You're crying." Gurjin whispered. "What's wrong?"

Rian shook his head, wiping the tears from his face. "Nothing. I don't want to talk about it." Rian stood up, still trying to wipe his face dry. "Is dinner almost ready? I'm starving."

Gurjin smiled. "It should be. Kylan was almost done when I came to check on you."

\---

Everyone else had gathered around the fire, where Kylan had just finished making dinner for everyone. Brea was the first to hear them coming, and she waved the two over when she saw the two approaching. Rian and Gurjin sat down, Rian sitting in between Brea and Kylan, while Gurjin sat beside his sister Naia.

"Nice of you to join us, Rian." Brea smiled, passing Rian a bowl of broth. "We were all wondering if we would get to see you again. You've been locked in there for a while. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I was just...thinking. So much as happened, and I still haven't processed it all."

Kylan nodded. "I understand. Some in Sami Thicket are still trying to make sense of it all, same for most of us here."

"I think the Stonewood were hit the worst." Naia chimed in. "After all, they lost their Maudra. And they still haven't chosen another. There's also no signs that they've chosen someone new to lead. If they don't find someone, Stone-in-the-wood is going to be in trouble."

"Let's not discuss this at the moment." Brea said. "Let's just relax, put all of this behind us for now. Let's talk leadership later, ok?"

Rian nodded. "Please. I've had enough politics for one day."

\---

The three suns were setting when the news came in. The five friends were sitting by the fire, telling jokes and stories to lighten the mood when they saw the carrige approach Stone-in-the-Wood.

"That's the All-Maudra's carrige." Naia pointed out. "What is the All-Maudra doing here? Has something happened at Ha'rar?"

"No idea." Brea stared at the carrige, standing up from her spot from the fire. "I'm going to go check it out." 

\---

Seladon had just gotten out of the carrige when she was tackled by Brea in a hug. 

"Seladon!" Brea hugged her sister tightly for a few moments, before pulling away, placing her hands on her older sister's shoulders. "How have you been? And why are you here? Has something bad happened at Ha'rar?"

"Hello, Brea. I'm fine. And yes. Something has happened." Seladon explained with a frown. "I need to speak with the Stonewood Maudra. Have the Stonewood chosen a Maudra yet?"

Brea shook her head. "No. Not an Maudra, at least. People here consider Rian as the clan's leader until one is chosen, so he'll probably be the one you're looking for."

"Thank you, Brea. Can you go get him? And bring your other friends as well. I think they'll want to see this too."

Brea looked at Seladon, confused. "Um...alright." Brea beckoned her friends over to her, who were watching her from the fire. The group approached her, looking just as confused as Brea.

"All-Maudra." Rian bowed his head. "What an unexpected pleasure. What brings you out here?"

"Hello, Rian." Seladon bowed her head at him. "I hear your the clan's temporary leader, correct?"

Rian nodded. "I am. Has something happened?"

Seladon nodded. "Unfortunately. And I think you'll want to hear what happened. You five, hop in the carrige. We set of for Ha'rar in a few minutes."

\---

"We believe that the gelfling was murdered." Seladon explained as she lead the group through the halls of the citadel. "Their throat was slit, but that's not the suprising part. Their internal organs were missing. We don't know exactly what happened, but we believe that the organs were eaten."

"Eaten?" Gurjin said, confused. "But by what? What creature is able to sneak into a gelfling's house, kill them, and leave undetected?"

"They didn't leave undetected." Seladon interuppted. "Someone witnessed the attack, and got a description of the attacker. You're going to want to talk to them if you want more information. That's all I know."

The group reached the throne room. Seladon opened the door, stepping aside to let the others in. "I'll give you guys some privacy while you talk with the witness. If you need me, just call my name. I won't be far." With that, Seladon left, closing the door.

\---

The witness was a young Vapran female, no older than Brea. She nervously ran her fingers through her black hair, trying to gather the words of her story.

"I had just gotten back from a walk when I saw the creature. I didn't even notice it at first. It was comepletely silent. I got close to where it was hiding, and it snarled at me. It had hid in the closet, where the creature had also his his body. He was already dead when I got there. I screamed, and it flew off through an open window."

"Could you describe this creature?" Kylan asked the young female.

"It...it looked like a gelfling! That's why it scared me so much. I couldn't see much due to how fast the creature moved, but I got a somewhat clear look at it. It looked like a Grottan gelfling, with green skin, tangled white hair, and large ears. But...something was wrong with it. It had purple veins covering it's skin, and it's eyes were glowing, and purple in color. Its mouth was covered in blood, that's why I think it ate my father's organs."

Rian's breath hitched. His mind went to the day Deet when into hiding. The purple veins. Violet eyes. Her white hair a tangled mess. "It can't be." He whispered. "It can't."

Brea turned to face Rian. "It can't what?"

"It can't be her. She would never do this." He said, tears building in his eyes.

"You're making no sense, Rian. Who are you talking about?" Naia asked.

Rian turned to face Naia, tears beginning to streak down his face. 

"Deet. My gentle Deet."


	2. Chapter 2

"Deet? Rian, are you sure you're not feeling ill?" Gurjin looked at Rian, dumbfounded. "Deet would never hurt anyone, you know that."

"You weren't there! You weren't there when I watched her banish herself into the woods the day of the battle. You didn't see what the darkening did to her." Rian yelled. Sighing, he turned and left the throne room, slamming the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Kylan said, breaking the silence that had filled the room.

"I'm not sure." Naia responded. "Rian's never had an outburst like that. At least not that I've seen. But he doesn't mean anything by it. He's stressed, and he misses Deet. More than all of us. Let's give him some time alone, yeah? He'll come around when he's ready."

\---

Even though Deet had lost herself to the darkening, she still had morals. Somewhat. She had rules when it came to feeding.

She never preyed on childlings. They were innocent, after all. She also never preyed on the old or injured. She prefered going after stray gelflings, away from populated areas to avoid being caught. If she had to go to somewhere populated, she would wait until nightfall, when the gelfling was asleep, kill them as quietly as possible, feed, then leave. She didn't bother hiding the evidence. It was only a waste of time.

Night had just fallen when she finally chose her prey. A Drenchen female, just outside the swamp of Sog. Deet prefered Drenchen gelfling out of any other. She found that each clan had a different "taste", and she found Drenchen to be the best tasting. Her mouth was practically watering as she watched her victim from the treetops. She had to be careful this time, however. Deet lost most of her night vision due to the darkening covering her sight with a purple hue, so Deet had to be sure not to acidentally alert anyone. 

Spreading her wings, Deet carefully flew down, landing behind the Drenchen. Deet covered the girl's mouth to prevent her from screaming, quickly grabbed a knife hanging from her belt, and drew it across the girl's throat. The Drenchen crumpled, her blood spilling on the front of her clothing, dripping onto the ground. Deet carefully laid the body down, not minding the blood that was getting all over her dress. It was torn and covered in dirt, so what's a little blood going to do?

Deet wasted no time cutting through the other female's clothing, and carefully made a long cut in the skin, starting at the base of the throat, and ending just above the pelvis. She pulled the skin apart, and reached into the body cavity, and began to pull out organs, starting with the stomach.

She dug her teeth into the organ, ignoring the blood that was spilling onto her lap, staining her dirt-covered dress a light pink. She continued to eat, savoring the taste of the blood that was running down her throat. Once she had finished, she moved on to the intestines. She ate like she was starving, as if she hadn't eaten in days. She quickly finished the with the stomach cavity, and moved on to the chest organs. 

All she had to do was break the ribcage, which was easy. She picked up a rock, and with a couple hits, she was able to break the ribcage to the point where she could reach the heart and lungs. If she was honest, the heart was probably her favorite out of all the organs. It was the most "tender" meat to her, and the blood only made the taste better. She grabbed the Drenchen's heart, and tore into it with the ferocity of a starved wild animal. Blood spilled onto her lap and dripped down her chin, staining her teeth red and pink, filling her mouth and throat with a metallic taste. It filled Deet with a sense of euphoria, feeling the blood pour down her chin, dripping onto her dress. 

"Over here!"

A voice pulled Deet from her trance, and light was shined in her direction. She had been caught. A couple of Drenchen guards had somehow noticed her, most likely attracted to the scent of the girl's blood. Deet growled, and crawled backwards on her hands and knees, trying to get out of the light.

"It's getting away! Stop it!"

That was her cue to leave. Spreading her wings, Deet stood up and ran off, getting a head start in escaping from the guards, who had started to chase her. She leaped up into the air, flapping her wings, heading towards the canopy of trees to hide herself from the chasing guards.

"Dammit! It got away!"

The guards stop their chase, looking up into the trees, hoping to find the creature that had attacked the gelfling. After a few moments, they turned and started to head back towards Sog. 

"Alert Maudra Laesid that another murder has occured. And send word to the All-Maudra. She'll want to hear about this. We also need to start planning on how to stop this thing. Otherwise..."

The guard trailed off for a few moments.

"Who knows how much longer this will occur. If we don't do something, we're all in trouble."


	3. Chapter 3

"News has arrived from the swamp of Sog. Another attack has been confirmed. This makes the 12th confirmed attack on the Gelfling."

Seladon pushed the map across the table so the others could see. "The colored dots are the locations of the attacks. Most attacks appear to occur at or around Sog, while so far no attacks have been reported at or near Grot. The clan with the most murdered so far is Drenchen, with 6 dead. The Grottan clan hasn't been touched by this creature for some reason. Any guesses?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Brea said. "Deet is a Grottan. She would never hurt anyone from her own clan."

"But Deet would never hurt anyone, regardless of clan!" Rian interrupted. "One's clan doesn't matter to her."

Seladon sighed. "Rian, I'm sorry. But the descriptions people are giving us point to her. A female Grottan gelfling with white hair, purple eyes, and green skin with purple veins. It has to be her. Who else could it be?"

"Maybe it's another female Grottan?"

"Rian, Deet took on the darkening, remember?" Gurjin said, placing a hand on Rian's shoulder. "The darkening has corrupted her, and it's causing her attack the gelflings. That would explain everything."

Rian took a deep breath. "I suppose your right. It's just not want I wanted to hear. How do we stop this? Any ideas?"

Seladon shook her head. "Deet doesn't appear to have a pattern when it comes to her...feasting. She tends to stick around Sog, Sami Thicket, and the ports of Cera-Na. While all but Vapran and Grottan have been attacked, she seems to prefer Drenchen. So if you plan to try and catch her, Sog and Sami Thicket house the best chances of you finding her."

"So, we'll head out to Sog." Rian said. "If we don't find her there, we'll head to Sami Thicket. If she isn't there, then we'll play by ear, and head to the location of her most recent sighting."

Brea smiled. "Sounds like a good plan! We'll set out immediately. Is that alright with everyone else?"

"Yep! Naia and I will go get ready!" Gurjin and Naia turned and left the citadel, Kylan tagging along with them. 

"May Thra protect you on your journey, Sister." Seladon wrapped Brea in a hug. "Stay safe."

\---

The group had left a few hours earlier, leaving Seladon by herself in Ha'rar to deal with her duties as the All-Maudra. Even though she had been preparing to become the All-Maudra for what felt like a thousand trine, she found herself struggling to deal with her duties without Brea by her side. "No point in complaining now." Seladon whispered to herself, rolling up the maps. 

Seladon had retired to her bedroom not too long after her sister's departure. All of the day's stress was slowly catching up with her, so she settled on retiring to bed early. She had also planned to take a break from her duties for a day. She hoped the other gelfling would understand her need for a small break with all that was going on.

Seladon didn't realize how tired she was, and she fell asleep the second her head hit her pillow. She didn't even bother to take off her make-up. But the feeling of her lipstick being smudged all over her face wasn't what woke her up. She had heard something. A sound like the fluttering of wings. 

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Seladon sat up. There it was again. Something was in the room with her.

"As the All-Maudra, I command you to show yourself!"

The noise came from behind her this time. Seladon turned around, and she let out a gasp at what she saw.

"Deet?"

Deet was slowly approaching the All-Maudra, crawling on her hands and knees like a wild animal. She looked like one too. Her skin was covered in dirt, blood, dried mud, and Thra knows what else. Her hair was a tangled mess. All of her braids had been taken out, allowing her hair to tangle more easily. It was also covered in mud, and had small sticks and leaves tangled in it. Her eyes glowed a sickening violet, void of emotion. Her dress was torn, and covered in dirt and blood.

Deet snarled at her, her eyes suddenly glowing with anger. Deet's teeth were dyed pink and red, and patches of dried blood could be seen on her gums. She began to approach Seladon slowly, her tattered wings unfurling to give herself a more raggedy and scary appearance. Seladon backed away.

"Deet! Stop! Don't hurt me! You know me!"

Deet continued to approach Seladon, growling underneath her breath. The darkening running through her veins caused the air around her to crackle with electricity. Seladon continued to back up, pressing herself up against the wall.

"Paladins!" Seladon called out, hoping that someone was in earshot. That's when Deet seddenly jumped up, pulling Seladon to the ground. Seladon screamed and thrashed, trying to throw Deet off of her. Deet responded by placing one of her fingers over Seladon's mouth.

"Shh."

That was the last thing Seladon heard before Deet sank her teeth into her throat.


	4. Chapter 4

"We should rest, Rian. We've been traveling non-stop for a couple days now. We need to rest." Naia said, suppressing a yawn. "Otherwise, we won't be able to capture Deet when we find her. Or worse."

Rian suppressed a yawn of his own. "You're right. Gurjin. Kylan. Can you two start setting up camp? I'll join you in a few minutes. Brea, you can assist them if you want. I'll tie up the landstriders."

A few minutes later, the group's campsite was set up. Kylan and Brea had fallen asleep almost instantly. Gurjin and Naia were talking quietly to each other, leaving Rian sitting by himself by the fire.

"How are we going to do this? Capture Deet, I mean. Do you two have plan?" Rian asked the Drenchen twins.

"That's what we were discussing, and I think we have a plan." Naia said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out a bundle of leather cords. "We'll have to...subdue her first. If she's on the ground, we'll have to try and pin her. If she's in flight, we'll have to knock her out of the air first. I'll use my bola for that if that's the case. Once she's down, we'll bind her wrists and her ankles. I also have some lengths of fabric we can use as a gag and a blindfold. She'll try to bite us for sure, that's why we'll use the gag. And since her eyes are sensitive to the sun, we'll use the blindfold. She may have turned into a monster, but she's still our friend, and I don't want her hurting in any way possible."

Rian nodded. "Good plan. Now, I'm sure you are exhausted. Get some sleep. We'll continue in the morning. Goodnight, Gurjin. Goodnight, Naia."

"Goodnight, Rian."

\---

"Princess Brea!"

A voice called out, shaking Kylan from his sleep. He lifted his head to see who was there. It was one of the paladins from Ha'rar. 

"Brea." Kylan shook Brea from her sleep. Rian, Gurjin, and Naia were also slowly starting to wake. "One of your paladins is here." Kylan added.

"Huh?" Brea stood up and approached the paladin, who was climbing off of his landstrider. "Why are you here? Did something happen in Ha'rar?"

That paladin nodded grimly. "Unfortunately. The creature managed to sneak into the citadel, and it attacked your sister."

Brea's breath hitched. "I-Is she ok?"

"Yes. We managed to scare off the creature before it was able to injure her further. And yes, she did get injured. The creature bit her throat. But she's alright. Seladon can still talk, she just sounds a bit scratchy."

Brea sighed in relief. "Good." 

Rian approached the paladin. "Is Deet still there?"

"No. We scared it off. I think it's somewhere around the Silver Sea."

Rian nodded. "We'll check there. Thank you for the information." Rian went back to the campsite. "Break camp. We're going to the Silver Sea. That's where Deet was last spotted."

\---

"Brea, you can go visit your sister. She needs you at the moment. The others and I can handle Deet." Rian said to Brea, stopping his landstrider in front of the gates of the citadel. Brea smiled, and climed off. 

"Thank you, Rian. May Thra protect you, and good luck." Brea turned around, and ran into the citadel.

\---

"Stay down. And keep watch on all directions. We don't know where she is. She might be blending in." Gurjin whispered to Rian, Naia, and Kylan. The group were huddled in a small patch of forest near the edge of the sea. The group had spend the past 45 minutes scouring the forest, with no success of finding Deet. So they settled on watching the shore, mainly because of the lone gelfling sitting at the water's edge. A Sifan male, drawing pictures in the wet sand.

Kylan tapped Rian on the shoulder. "Look." He whispered, pointing to something in the trees. "We found her."

Deet was slowly crawling on a tree's branch, her eyes focused on the Sifan male. Naia pulled out her bola, beckoning for everyone to come closer. "Here's the plan. When she takes flight, Rian and Gurjin will chase after her. Kylan, you follow after them. I'll try to hit her wings, in order to knock her out of the air. When she hits the ground, tie her up." Naia handed the leather cords, gag, and blindfold to the others. "When she jumps from the tree, you run."

\---

Deet sat on the branch for a few minutes, staring ahead at the horizon. Suddenly, she unfurled her wings, and jumped from the tree. 

"Now! Go!" Naia yelled.

Rian, Gurjin, and Kylan stood up and began to chase after her, making sure to stay out of her sight. 

Naia began to swing her bola, keeping her eyes focused on Deet. After a few swings, she threw her bola. It hit Deet in the wing, who fell to the ground with a scream. Deet landed in the shallows of the ocean, cradling her hit wing. 

Rian and Gurjin grabbed Deet by the upper arms, and pulled her from the ocean. She screamed and thrashed, trying to escape from their grasp. "Turn her over!" Gurjin ordered, grabbing her wrists and pinning them. "Kylan, bind her ankles. Rian, gag and blindfold her." He ordered, tying the straps around Deet's wrists. Kylan nodded, and began to tie Deet's ankles together.

Rian sighed. He couldn't look into her eyes. The dark violet color was tearing his soul into two. "I'm sorry for this." He whispered to her, tying the blindfold around her eyes. Deet snarled, and tried to bite Rian and he secured the blindfold around her eyes. He could see all the dried blood on her teeth. "I'm sorry for this too." He said, tying the gag around her mouth, muffling her growls.

Naia joined the group, smiling. "Good job, guys! Now let's-" She was interrupted by Deet's wing smacking her in the face. "Why you...looks like we're going to have to bind her wings too. Kylan, flip her onto her stomach, and hold down her wrists. Gurjin, hold down the ends of her wings. Rian, hold down her wings near their base. I'll tie her wings."

Rian gently pressed down on her wings with his left hand, using his other hand to gently stroke the back of her hair. "You're going to be ok, Deet. We're going to help you. We'll find a way to help you." He whispered. He watched Naia as she gently wrapped a couple of cords around her wings, tight enough to keep them still, but loose enough as to not damage the wings. 

"Ok. Sit her up." Naia said, gently pulling her up from the ground. Rian gently wiped sand from her face, and placed his hands on the sides of her face. 

"You'll be ok."


	5. Chapter 5

"So, what are we going to do about Deet? I don't think she'll be allowed in the citadel after what happened with the All-Maudra." Naia said to the group, hefting Deet's body over her shoulder. "And we can't just leave her by herself in case she breaks the bonds."

Rian shrugged. "We'll have to figure that out when we get there. We'll ask Brea if there's somewhere Deet can stay. She'll have to be under heavy guardsman ship, though. We can't allow her to escape. It's already been enough of a goose chase."

The group started their trek back to Ha'rar, with Gurjin as leader. Even though it was a short distance away, the group had to stop every so often for Naia to catch her breath. Deet was much heavier than Naia had guessed, and her struggling only made things worse for Naia, especially when Deet had managed to kick her in the stomach. Naia doubled over, one hand on her stomach, the other wrapped around Deet's thrashing frame.

"Here, let me take her." Gurjin said, taking Deet from his sister. Naia clenched her stomach, growling quietly. "Little beast." She whispered under her breath. Gurjin threw Deet over his shoulder, and continued leading the group through the small patch of forest. Deet had stopped struggling, but she was growling quietly, the veins on her exposed skin glowing a harsh purple.

\---

The group finally arrived at Ha'rar, the suns long gone, giving away to the cold night.

"You guys stay here. I'll go get Brea." Rian said to the group. He turned and ran to the gates of the citadel. 

"Rian, it took you a while to get back. Did something happen?" A paladin at the gates asked him.

Rian shrugged. "I guess you could say that. We caught the creature, but she wouldn't come with us willingly. Is Brea still in the citadel?"

"She is. Come, I'll take you to her. Your friends can come to, if you want."

Rian nodded, beckoning for his friends to follow him.

\---

"So, this is the creature that's been terrorizing Thra? It's...actually not that scary to be honest." The paladin said, looking over his shoulder at Deet. She was still and quiet, and the purple veins on her skin were no longer glowing.

"I think she's asleep." Gurjin said, adjusting Deet slightly, who was still thrown over his shoulder.

Naia shook her head. "She isn't. Unless she sleeps with her eye open and her wings twitching."

Kylan looked at Naia, a bit confused. "How can you see her eyes with the blindfold on?"

"Her eyes glow purple, remember?" Naia pointed to Deet's eyes. A faint purple glow could be seen through the thick material. "Or her eyes glow through her eyelids."

Naia carefully reached out and grabbed the edge of Deet's blindfold, carefully lifting the material covering her eyes. Deet's eyes bored into Naia's, the purple glow putting her and Kylan on edge. A low growl formed in Deet's throat, prompting Naia to put the blindfold back over her eyes.

"Yep, she's awake. She probably just tired herself out with her struggling." Naia said to Rian.

"Or she could be hungry." Gurjin suggested. "From what we've heard, she only seems to feast on organs. Who knows how long it's been since she's last eaten."

"If that's the case, how are we going to feed her?" Kylan asked. "We have to find a way to get her back on actual food. We can't just give her innocent Gelfling for food."

"We'll think of something." Naia patted Deet on the shoulder. "I promise."

\---

"You guys are back!" Brea said excitedly, shutting the door to Seladon's bed chamber. "What took you so long? We expected you back hours ago."

"Sorry, princess." Naia said with a small shrug. "Deet was a bit hard to catch. It turned out she blended in with the trees quite well."

"How's the All-Maudra doing?" Kylan interrupted. "Is she doing better?"

"She's doing fine, thanks for asking. She's asleep at the moment." Brea turned to Gurjin. "Can you put Deet down? I want to have a look at her."

Gurjin nodded, setting Deet on the ground. He gripped her shoulders tightly so that she would run, not that she would get very far since her ankles were tied. Deet struggled against her bonds, causing Gurjin to tighten his grip.

"Oh Deet." Brea reached out and gently stroked her cheek, feeling the unnatural coldness of her skin. Deet recoiled from the touch, not expecting Brea to touch her. 

Deet thrashed some more, struggling against Gurjin's grip. She snapped the straps holding her wrists together, then she snapped the bonds around her ankles. She tore herself from Gurjin's grip, yanking off her blindfold and the gag around her mouth. 

Rian reached out and grabbed Deet by the arm, and pulled her towards him, holding her against his chest. He covered her mouth with his hand so that she wouldn't be able to bite anyone. "We were wondering if there's anywhere she can stay for the time being?" Rian said, trying to still Deet's thrashing. 

"We have a couple prison cells here in the citadel. She shouldn't be able to break through the bars, and she can placed under guard watch."

"I was hoping for something a bit different, but I'll take it." Rian said with a sigh. "Lock her up."

\---

Deet paced the length of her cell, like a hunter on the prowl. She growled under her breath, kicking the door of her cell. She hated being locked up in a cage like a wild animal. The walls closed in on her, making her feel like she was being suffocated. 

The only people who were down there with her were the paladins that were stationed outside of her cell. Every now and then, Rian and the others would come down and visit, but they would just talk to the paladins. They tried to talk to her, but she would always just stare at them, her eyes void of emotion. 

They gave her food, but she refused to eat it. She didn't have a taste for normal food anymore, so she just didn't eat. This choice was catching up to her though, as she began to lose weight. Rian was the first to notice her bones beginning to jut out from underneath her skin. 

Deet stared at Rian from her cage. He had dropped by to get a report from the paladins, hoping to see a change in Deet's behavior or eating habits. Even though Deet didn't like the taste of Sonewoods, something about this one made her mouth water. She could only imagine the taste of his blood. Even the thought of sinking her teeth into his heart made her stomach growl. She wished he would come closer, but she knew that wish would never be granted. There were always at least two paladins with her, and even without them there, she wouldn't have been able to get him into the cell. The space between the bars was too small, plus he was way stronger than her. He would have been able to break free almost instantly.

She still wished he would come closer. Just a small taste of his flesh would be enough to satisfy her cravings.

\---

"I suggest you be careful, Mother Aughra. She's been very violent towards others." Rian warned.

Mother Aughra had visited Ha'rar after hearing about the capture of Deet, saying that she had a way to heal Deet of her current condition. Brea and the others were excited to hear the news, but Rian remained unconvinced. 

He lead Aughra to Deet's cage. She was still pacing, but she stopped once she heard Rian and Aughra. Deet stared at Aughra, and Rian swore he saw the purple glow in Deet's eyes dim a bit. Aughra reached into Deet's cage and placed her hand on Deet's forehead. The purple in Deet's eyes faded, returning back to the warm chocolate brown that Rian was so used to. The purple veins receded, fading to a barely noticeable pink.

After a minute, Aughra pulled away. Deet gasped, staring at Aughra, dumbfounded. Her eyes were beginning to turn purple once again, and the veins on her face began to darken.

"She's not gone. Not yet, at least." Aughra explained. "She'll soon be gone if you don't act soon."

"What do I do? How do I fix this?" Rian begged Mother Aughra.

"With this." Aughra reached into a small bag around her waist, and pulled out an object. She handed it to Rian, who grasped onto it tightly.

"Is this...the missing shard of the crystal?" Rian stared up at Aughra, holding the shard to his chest.

"Heal the crystal, Brave Rian. That's the only way to heal Gentle Deet from the darkening. Now go. I'm afraid Gentle Deet doesn't have much time left."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have this out sooner, but things got in the way.
> 
> Expect updates to slow a bit. I start a new school tomorrow, and I am SUPER nervous about it. If anyone has any advice about being a new kid at school, I would gladly appreciate it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY GOT THIS FINISHED HOLY HECK
> 
> Sorry about the delay in this chapter. Moving to a new state and a new school was hard on me, and I got sick with a bad sinus infection that left me pretty drained.
> 
> This chapter is also a bit on the shorter side, only at 500+ words

"You seem troubled, Rian." Seladon sat down beside Rian, gently patting him on the shoulder. "What's got you troubled?"

"It's hard to explain, All Maudra. How are you feeling, by the way?"

Seladon's hand went to the bandages wrapped around her throat where Deet had previously bitten her. "I'm doing better." Her voice was still a bit raspy, but other than that, there were no other signs of the previous attack. "Your turn, Rian. What's gotten you down?"

"It's this." Rian pulled the shard out of the bag that was wrapped around his waist. He passed it to Seladon. "Mother Aughra said I needed to heal the crystal, but I...I don't know how."

Seladon looked over the crystalline shard, running her fingers over the smooth surface. "It's simple. You heal the crystal using the shard. What's so confusing about it?"

"It's not that. I know what to do, but I don't know how I'm going to do it. I can't just walk into the castle. I'm sure that the Skeksis are on high guard, and that the castle is under a lot of protection. And there's the garthim. They're unstoppable!"

"Rian. I need you to calm down. Yes, the garthim are a big threat, but they aren't unstoppable. We have defeated them before. Things may seem bad now, but we need you to stay strong. For her sake."

Seladon pointed to Deet's cage. Deet was sitting in the corner, her face buried in her knees. The once dormant darkening had broke from its hold, the veins now a dark purple on Deet's skin.

"She needs you, Rian." Seladon pressed the shard into Rian's hand. "Heal the crystal. Heal Deet."

\---

Rian had left Ha'rar the next day, with the plans to head for the Castle of the Crystal. He had planned to go alone but Gurjin, Naia, Brea, and Kylan had all insisted on coming. Seladon also wanted to come along, but in the end, she stayed behind to finish healing from her injuries. They all had also decided to bring Deet along as well.

Deet was much more behaved this time around. They bound her wings as a precaution, but there wasn't any incident, much to Rian's relief. 

"It's a two day travel to the castle." Rian explained over dinner. "We need a plan. The Skeksis are on high alert, and if they see us in the castle, it's all over." 

Deet stared at him from across the fire, clutching her bowl of broth in her hands. It remained untouched. 

"Well, we'll figure something out!" Brea said, trying to remain optimistic. "We always do!"

\---

"There it is. The Castle of the Crystal."

The Castle stood tall on the horizon. Not much had changed on the exterior, but just the sight made Rian shiver. Too many bad memories, something everyone had shared.

"Well, what now?" Kylan asked. "How do we get in?"

"We obviously can't just waltz through the front door. We'll be seen." Naia said.

"How about we let Rian and Gurjin take the lead? They know the castle better than the rest of us." Brea suggested.

"There's a tunnel system that leads to the catacombs." Gurjin said. "We can enter through there, then we'll find the crystal. I remember where it's being kept."

"Perfect." Rian turned to the group. "Let's end this once and for all. Thra protect us all."


	7. Chapter 7

"Ok, Gurjin. You'll take lead. You know the catacombs better than the rest of us. Brea, you and Naia will go with him and look for a way in. Deet, Kylan, and I will take up the back. We all need to keep quiet and to keep an eye out. If a Skeksis sees us, we're all going to be in big trouble. Everyone got it?"

Brea nodded. "That's a good plan, Rian. But what do we do if we do encounter an Skeksis? Do we fight back against them?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to if it comes to it. If we can, we'll try and escape. It will raise the alarm in the Castle, so we'll have to be a bit more careful." Rian responded. "Now come on. We have a crystal to heal."

\---

The land around the Castle was slowly beginning to wither away. The dead grass crunched beneath their feet as they walked, much to Rian's disliking. While the Skeksis couldn't hear them now, they might be able to once they got closer. 

Rian kept peeking over his shoulder at Deet. He didn't know how she would act getting closer to the Castle, but so far, she was behaving herself, eyes staring straight ahead at him. He hoped it stayed that way.

"Catacomb entrance is up ahead!" Gurjin yelled over his shoulder. "Where do we go once we enter the castle?"

"Head for the lab!" Rian responded. "If the Crystal isn't there, then we head towards the center pavilion!"

"The Crystal?" Kylan said. "Why do we need to find the Crystal?"

"Because." Rian pulled the Crystal shard from the bag slung over his shoulder. "Mother Aughra gave this to me before we left. If we heal the Crystal, there's a chance it'll heal the Darkening and set Deet free." 

"But how do we find the Crystal without the Skeksis finding us? I'm sure they'll be guarding the Crystal."

"Then we pray to Thra that the Skeksis don't find us."

\---

The Catacombs were dark and covered in the old nests of the Arathim that had once called them home. Rian used the tip of his sword to bat the nests out of his face, squinting in the dark to try and see in the dark.

"Gurjin, not that I'm doubting you, but do you have any idea where we're going?" Brea asked. "I can't see a thing!"

"Trust me, Princess." He responded. "When we go deeper into the catacombs, it'll get less dark."

"Alright, I guess I trust you." Brea batted a web out of her face. 

Rian jumped a bit when he felt something brush his hand. He turned to see what it was and he was surprised to see that it was Deet's hand. She tightly squeezed his hand, her large purple eyes staring into his. "I'm scared." She whispered, almost too faint for Rian to hear.

Rian gasped quietly. He wasn't expecting her to talk at all. He squeezed her hand in return. "Don't worry, Deet. We're almost there." 

\---

"Entrance to the Castle is straight ahead. Once we enter, find somewhere out of sight." Gurjin said to the group. "Once we're all out of the Catacombs, we'll gain out bearings and find the lab."

Naia nodded. "And if anyone sees a Skeksis, let everyone know. We can't let them see us now."

Naia exited the Catacombs first, looking to see if the coast was clear. Once she was certain that they were alone, she signaled to the others to let them know it was safe. They all quickly followed suit.

"Rian, Gurjin. Where are we?" Naia asked, looking around the hallway.

"This is the hallway that leads to the Crystal Chamber. That's where the Crystal is usually kept. We should start there." Rian said.

With a nod, Naia took the lead as the Resistance quickly made their way to the Crystal Chamber. They got there rather quickly and without trouble, which confused Rian. Surely they would have run into at least one Skeksis by now, especially near the Crystal. But Rian didn't voice his suspicions. 

\---

The Crystal Chamber was empty, except for the giant Crystal hovering in the middle of the room. 

"I haven't seen the Crystal since the Dreamspace." Brea said as she stared up at the Crystal. "It's gotten darker."

"That's why we have to heal it." Rian said, patting the strap of his bag. "Mother Aughra gave me the Crystal shard so we can heal the Crystal. Now, I just need to get up there."

"You have two options. Either you go up onto the balcony and jump onto the Crystal from there, or I could fly you up there." Brea explained to Rian. "The second option seems must safer, so I think we should use that method."

"No. I can get up there myself. I want you hiding just in case someone comes in here. I don't want you getting hurt."

"We don't want you getting hurt either, Rian." Gurjin said. 

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Rian said reassuringly. As he turned to leave the Chamber, he froze in place. The entrance was blocked. The Skeksis had found them.

\---

"Well, what do we have here?" The Emperor stepped forward, the Scientist following behind him. "Gelfling in the castle? What a nice surprise."

Rian drew his sword, taking a couple steps back. "Whatever you do, don't hurt the others. It's me you want, after all."

The Emperor laughed. "It's no longer you we want, Rian." SkekSo said coldly. "It's her we want." The Emperor pointed at Deet, who took a step back, right into the arms of the waiting Chamberlain. Deet yelped as SkekSil grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides.

"No!" Rian turned back to the Emperor, his sword trembling in his grip. "Let her go. I won't let you take her."

"What's done is done. The Chamberlain will take her down to the lab, where we will run our long awaited experiments."

Rian shook his head. "Take me instead. Please, just don't hurt her!"

SkekSo pondered this for a moment. "You're not the one we need, but we might as well take you anyway. Skeksis!"

The rest of the Skeksis poured into the room, talking among themselves and throwing jeers at the remaining Gelfling.

"Finally, fresh essence!" The Scroll-Keeper cheered.

"Everyone, behind me!" Rian yelled, brandishing his weapon towards the Skeksis. 

"Oh, Rian. Try as hard as you want, but you're surrounded. And this time, you don't have your tricks to help you. We'll make this easy for you."

Before Rian could respond, the world around him faded to black.


	8. Chapter 8

Rian's head throbbed as he stirred from his unconsciousness. He groaned quietly as he opened his eyes, propping himself up off of the cold stone floor, rubbing the back of his head. The blurriness of his vision finally faded, and he now had a clear view of his surroundings, which happened to be the interior of a Skeksis cage. 

"Finally. I was beginning to think you were dead." Came a voice from his left. Rian turned and found Naia leaned up against the wall. 

"Naia? What happened?" Rian asked. His memory was foggy, and some bits and pieces had yet to fall into place. 

"Well, we were caught by the Skeksis, who took Deet. Before they took her away, they hit you over the head, which knocked you unconscious, and they took the rest of us captive."

"Now I'm beginning to remember. Where's everyone else?"

Naia pointed across the room. "They've been put into the other cage. They've been pretty quiet, starting to think the Skeksis knocked them out as well."

Rian looked over at the other cage, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the silhouettes of the others. "Well, at least they're alright. What about Deet?"

"You don't-" Before Naia could say anything else, a loud scream suddenly pierced the air. 

"She's been screaming like that for a while now." Naia said with a grimace. "The Skeksis are experimenting on her. I was hoping they would stop so you didn't hear them, because I know how upset you would've been."

Rian stared at her, a low growl resonating in his throat. "You knew? Oh, I don't think you know how upset I am, Naia. What we need to do now, is to get out of here."

"Feel free to try, Rian. But the bars are too thick. No way we're breaking through them."

"Who said anything about breaking the bars? The way the Scientist designed the cage's bars gives us the perfect way of escape. We climb through that gap up there, and we'll be free."

Naia stood up, her eyes focused on the gap in the bars. "Huh. I guess the Scientist didn't think about that."

"Probably didn't think about the fact that Gelfling are good climbers." Rian gave the bars a quick tug, then he began to climb the bars, Naia following after him. 

\---

"Naia, you stay here with the others. Get them out of the cage. I'm going to go look for Deet." But before Rian could run off, Naia grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Rian, I know how much you want Deet to be safe, we all do. But you aren't doing her good just running out there by yourself. You can't take on the Skeksis by yourself. So please, wait for the others. We can take them down together."

Rian sighed. "You're right. Thank you for that, Naia. Now, to get the others out of that cage."

Naia held up a key. "Already ahead of you."

\---

Like Naia had thought, the other Gelfling were unconscious, and the two had to wait for them to wake. The first one to stir was Brea, and after a few seconds, she awoke. 

"What- Where am I?" 

Naia gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You're alright, Brea. We're down in the lab, from the looks of things. Once Gurjin and Kylan wake up, we'll get out of here."

"That's good." Brea said with a smile. Her smile faltered when she noticed that Deet was missing. "But...where's Deet? Did...did the Skeksis take her?"

"Yes." Rian responded. "We've heard her screaming. We don't know what's happened, but we can say that it's nothing good."

"Well, then why are we just sitting here?" Brea stood up, but she quickly lost balance, and was forced to lean against the wall for support.

"Careful." Naia eased her back into a sitting position. "Don't get too worked up. I'm sure you're still a bit light-headed."

Brea brought a hand to her head, rubbing her temple. "You're right about that. Now my head's spinning like a top."

"Just rest, Princess. Once the others wake, I'm sure you'll be feeling better."

\---

Kylan and Gurjin woke at around the same time, and were equally as disoriented as Brea, both of them complaining about dizziness and mild headaches. But those passed quickly, and soon they were able to head back to the center pavilion.

They crouched behind the balcony in a hallway above the Crystal. "What's the plan?" Kylan asked.

"I jump onto the Crystal and stick the shard back in." Rian responded instantly. 

"Now wait just a minute!" Brea said. "We didn't all agree to this."

"Sorry, but it's now or never." Rian stood up, clutching the shard tightly. He hopped up on the railing, preparing to make the jump, but the sound of footsteps reached his ears. 

"Something's coming." He jumped down from the railing and hid behind it, carefully peaking his head out to see what was happening. 

The Skeksis piled into the room, circling the Crystal. One of them, The Ritual Master, was dragging Deet forcefully by her arm, throwing her onto the ground in front of him.

Rian tensed. From what he could see, she wasn't physically injured, but he couldn't see all that well from his current position, so there wasn't a way for him to make sure that she was alright.

"I'll only say this once more, filth. Where are your friends hiding? We went to check their cage, and it was empty." SkekSo said. "We know they couldn't have just escaped on their own. Which means you must have freed them yourself."

"I told you, I don't know!" Deet's voice shook, the veins on her face turning an ugly shade of purple. 

"You lie." SkekSo said bitterly. "And now, you'll be punished."

Before Deet could respond, the Ritual Master grabbed Deet by the hair and pulled her up off the ground. She yelped in pain, and she started to try and pull herself away from him.

This was the last straw for Rian. Before any of the others could stop or protest, he jumped back onto the railing, and leaped onto the Crystal.

\---

"My lord Emperor!" The Chamberlain pointed at Rian. " It's the Gelfling Rian!

"Rian!" The Emperor roared. "Get down here!"

Rian sent a glare down at the Emperor, clutching the Crystal tightly in his hand. "I don't think so." He raised the shard above his head, ignoring the yells of the Skeksis, he plunged the shard back into the Crystal.

There was a flash of light, then nothing at all.

\---

More throbbing in his head, along with his chest. Rian's eyes blinked open, and he propped himself up on his elbows. 

The room was filled with a pale white light. The Crystal, while still not fully healed, was now a shade of light purple, the soft light bouncing off of the walls.

He stood up, rubbing the back of his head. Naia, Gurjin, Kylan, and Brea appeared beside him, all of them looking at him in bewilderment. 

"You...Rian, you did it!" Gurjin said, with a light chuckle.

"We all knew you could." Brea added.

Rian smiled. "Thank you, guys."

"Rian?" A soft voice came from his right. When he turned to see who it was, it heart stopped for a moment. 

Deet stood before him, a small smile beginning to form on her face. All of the veins were gone, and her eyes had returned to their normal brown. She was healed.

"You...saved me." Her eyes filled with tears, and a laugh broke through her lips. "You saved me!" 

She immediately wrapped him a tight hug, and she buried her head into the crook of his neck, still smiling. Rian returned the hug, holding her close, tears also beginning to form in his eyes.

"I thought I'd lost you." Rian confessed, stroking Deet's hair. She pulled away, cupping his cheek with her hand, wiping a tear from his face with her thumb. 

"Let's get out of here, shall we?"

\---

"The Skeksis aren't going to be happy about losing Deet." Gurjin said as they proceeded to run through the castle halls. "We need to be quick with our escape."

"We'll exit through the catacombs." Rian responded. "They'll have trouble finding us there."

The group of Gelfling ran through the twisting, turning halls of the Castle of the Crystal. However, the Skeksis knew the castle well, so they were able to trap them without much of a problem.

\---

The were surrounded once again. This time The Ritual Master had grabbed Deet, who now had the point of a knife digging into her chest. 

"You could've avoided this, Rian." SkekSo said. "If you would've stayed put like a good Gelfling, this wouldn't have happened." He beckoned to Deet. SkekZok slowly began to put pressure on the knife, causing Deet to whimper in pain. Blood began to spill from the wound, staining her dress red.

"No!" Rian growled. "Don't you dare hurt her!" He longed to lunge at the Emperor, but his sword was missing, most likely taken by the Skeksis before being imprisoned.

"You took the one thing we wanted. If we had finished our experiments, we would have figured out how the Darkening affects Gelfling, and how to use in our favor. But you had to ruin it. And now, we take the thing you want." SkeSo said coldly.

Rian's eyes went wide. He realized what they were going to do, but it was too late. The Ritual Master plunged the blade deep into Deet's chest. 

Her eyes went wide, and blood began to spill from her lips. SkekZok removed the knife, and Deet fell to the floor. Her dress was rapidly turning red, her blood pooling on the floor around her.

Rian was at her side in an instant, tears spilling from his eyes once again as he cradled Deet's head in his lap. She looked up at him with foggy eyes, feebly pressing her hand against her wound, blood spilling from in between her fingers. Her breathing was beginning to become labored, turning into raspy gasps rather than normal breaths.

"Naia, you have to help her!" Rian turned to Naia, hoping she could see the desperation in his eyes. "Please!"

"We have to get out of her first, Rian." Naia explained quickly. "It's not safe here."

"How? What can we do to escape? The catacombs are too far, she'll die before we get there!"

Naia looked around, her eyes pausing on one of the castle's many open windows. "We jump. Rian, we have to jump!"

Rian shook his head. "It's too dangerous. There must be another way."

"The moat will break our fall. And it's the quickest way if we want to give Deet a fighting chance. Trust me, Rian."

Rian looked down at Deet. He hated to admit this to himself, but Deet was running out of time. Her skin was turning pale, and her breathing slowed with each heartbeat. If she was going to live, he had to take the risk. He stood up, cradling her body in his arms.

"Hold your breath." He said to her before jumping out of the castle window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's safe to say that wasn't the original plan. Originally, it was just going to be about Rian healing the Crystal, and freeing Deet, but the idea of her getting stabbed was a thought that wouldn't leave my head, and I needed the last bit of angst.
> 
> I'm sorry for breaking your hearts.


End file.
